The Vision of the Son of Man and the Seven Churches

Translated into English from the French edition of Canon de Wuilleret (Paris: Vivès, second edition, 1857), itself translated from Holzhauser's Latin original of 1657. The paragraph numbers (I–XIII), the section divisions, and the headings are Holzhauser's own as printed in that edition. Scripture is rendered in the wording of the Douay-Rheims version, since Holzhauser quotes the Latin Vulgate throughout; Psalm references follow the Vulgate numbering.

§ 1. On the Inscription, the Authority, the Purpose, and the Matter of the Book of the Apocalypse. Chapter 1, Verses 1–8

VERSE 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John.

I. Most writers take care to place at the head of their books titles or inscriptions, in order to move all those into whose hands their writings fall to read them and to make use of them. So, and with far greater reason, has the Divine Wisdom done in the present book of the Apocalypse, as may be seen in the first verse, which contains: 1. the inscription and title of the book; 2. its authority; 3. the commission granted by the Superior; 4. the purpose of the work; 5. the subject of the book; 6. the will of the King who permits it; 7. the shortness of the time; 8. the mode of revelation; 9. the name of the writer; 10. the person of the assistant.

II. The first and second points are found in these words: The Revelation of Jesus Christ. There, indeed, the reader sees as a title what this book is — namely, the revelation of the secrets and heavenly mysteries, made not by a man or by an earthly king, who can lie or be deceived, but by Jesus Christ, who can neither deceive nor be deceived. These words display the whole dignity and the whole authority of this book.

III. God, one in three Persons, gave to Jesus Christ — inferior to the Father according to His humanity — the commission to write this book, so that thereby the pious and devout faithful who have been, who are, and who shall be in the Catholic Church, which must be regarded as the kingdom of Jesus Christ, might be sufficiently forewarned of the tribulations which God has willed that they should endure, in order to prove them and to increase their glory. He has permitted all this from eternity, so that we might be fortified, as by the shield of a necessary foreknowledge, against all adversities both present and future. He has willed that we should be consoled concerning the shortness of our tribulations in comparison with eternity, resisting them with the greatest strength and entrusting ourselves fully to the good pleasure of the divine will and permission, which cannot fail to be carried out — as appears from the words of the text: which God gave unto him, to make known to his servants the things which must shortly come to pass.

IV. The manner in which Our Lord Jesus Christ revealed all these things to Saint John was the most perfect, such as had never before been granted to any prophet; for it consists in these three things: 1. imaginative vision; 2. full understanding of the mysteries; and 3. the assistance of an angel. Now Saint John had these three helps in writing this book of the Apocalypse, as appears from the end of the text: and signified, sending by his angel to his servant John — that is to say, He sent His angel (Saint Michael), who, holding the place of Christ after the manner of a royal ambassador, appeared to Saint John the Evangelist, in order to unveil to him the mysteries of God concerning His Church, militant on earth and triumphant in heaven, and to instruct him outwardly (exterius), communicating to him a full understanding of all these things.

V. VERSE 2. Who hath given testimony to the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatsoever he hath seen. These words declare the authority of the writer, who was none other than Saint John the Evangelist, that disciple cherished by his Master above all the others, who bore testimony to the word of God concerning His eternal generation (John 1): "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God"; and concerning His Incarnation in time: "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory," etc. Wherefore it is added: who hath given testimony... to Jesus Christ... and to whatsoever he hath seen — in His life and conversation, in His miracles, in His death and in His resurrection, as may be seen in the Gospel. He bore this same testimony in the persecution of Domitian, confessing and preaching with the greatest strength, in the midst of torments, that Jesus Christ crucified is truly Son of God and Son of Man.

VI. VERSE 3. Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy, and keepeth those things which are written in it; for the time is at hand. The Apostle here makes his hearers attentive to the usefulness of this book, whose purpose is to make us obtain heavenly beatitude. Blessed is he that readeth. This applies to the doctors who teach others, by the words of this prophecy, justice and the fear of the Lord, and who strengthen them in adversities by the love of Jesus Christ and by the reward of eternal life. For blessed are they that instruct others unto justice: they shall shine as stars for all eternity. And blessed is he that heareth. Here he addresses the pious and simple disciples who believe the words of this prophecy, keeping in their heart the justice and the patience of Jesus Christ which are described therein. And keepeth those things which are written in it. That is to say: blessed is he who shall endure labours and tribulations, bearing them with patience unto the consummation. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he hath been proved, he shall receive the crown of life, which God hath promised to them that love him. For the time is at hand — that is, passing swiftly. It is as though he would say: the labour of patience is short, and the reward of beatitude is eternal. Hence these words of the Apostle to the Romans (8:18): "For I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come, that shall be revealed in us."

VII. VERSE 4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come, and from the seven spirits which are before his throne; VERSE 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, who hath loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, VERSE 6. And hath made us a kingdom, and priests to God and his Father: to him be glory and empire for ever and ever. Amen. VERSE 7. Behold, he cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also that pierced him. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him. Even so. Amen. VERSE 8. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. This Asia is a great province of Asia Major, in which there were seven cities, and in these cities seven churches with seven bishops, of which the metropolis was Ephesus. Saint John wrote and sent this book of the Apocalypse to these seven churches, which had been entrusted to him in the separation of the Apostles. This number seven, as in many other things, perfectly represents the universality of all the churches. And the author, wishing to win their goodwill and move them to hear and to read him, greets them with humility, taking no other title than his name: John to the seven churches, etc. This name, nevertheless, was most pleasing, and filled with spiritual joy those who heard it.

VIII. After this greeting comes the wish of good things, as so many means of winning goodwill: Grace be unto you and peace — that is to say: I wish you the grace of persevering in good, consolation in adversities, courage in trials, and likewise peace of heart and unity of minds and of faith, both interior and exterior, and finally eternal rest. Now all these things are gifts of God, according to Saint James (1:17): "Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights." Wherefore Saint John at once points to the source of true peace and grace, saying: Grace be unto you and peace from him that is, and that was, and that is to come. These words express no one other than God, together with His perfection and His authority; and this distinction of past, present, and future time is there only for our sake, we who are incapable of understanding the matter otherwise. The meaning of these words is therefore: Grace to you and peace from God, who is now, and who was from all eternity; who is to come at the judgment with His saints, and who is to live in eternity by Himself, in Himself, of Himself, and for Himself.

IX. And from the seven spirits which are before his throne. 1° By these seven spirits are designated the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon the Apostles on the day of Pentecost under the form of tongues of fire, and was sent throughout the whole world. It is by Him that every grace and every true peace was communicated to the Church. Although the Holy Spirit is true God, seated upon the throne with the Father and the Son in the same glory and majesty, He is nevertheless said here to be before the throne, because of the distribution of the gifts and spiritual graces made under the form of tongues of fire. The Holy Spirit distributes these gifts, according to the eternal will of the Father, for our salvation; just as it is said of the Person of the Word: "He came down from heaven for us men, and for our salvation." 2° By the seven spirits is also understood the universality of the holy angels who are stationed before the throne, and are always ready, as the ministers of God, to labour for our salvation, assisting the bishops in the government of the Church, according to the needs of the times.

X. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness of the glory, the majesty, and the truth of the Father. The faithful witness in the divine preaching, being the Word of God. The faithful witness in His miracles and in the shedding of His precious blood, having made Himself obedient unto death, even to the death of the cross. Wherefore He is called the first begotten of the dead — that is, the first among those raised from the dead, destined to become the cause or the instrument, and the faithful witness, of our future resurrection, after we shall have suffered, groaned, and wept in this valley of tears. And the prince of the kings of the earth — that is, the prince of the earthly powers, having the power to cast them down for the benefit of His elect, or to preserve them for the chastisement of sinners, permitting them to rage and to triumph; as Saint Matthew says (28:18), for the consolation of the Church: "All power is given to me in heaven and in earth." Who hath loved us first, when we were His enemies; and who loved us to the point of washing us from our sins, both original and actual, by His innocent blood; He who was betrayed and put to death by our sins and for our sins. In his own blood, because the sacraments of Baptism and of Penance, which blot out original sin and actual sins, draw their efficacy from His blessed Passion.

And hath made us a kingdom and priests. We were cast out and driven from paradise, from the kingdom of God; and we found ourselves held in slavery, in the bonds of our sins and in the servitude of the devil. But our King Jesus Christ has gathered us together and constituted us a kingdom, or monarchical principality, such as is the Catholic Church — a kingdom holy, admirable, and strong, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail, whatever the efforts of its enemies. And hath made us a kingdom, because He has placed us under the holy law of the heavenly reign, so that God, the Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ, might reign over us. And we are His people by obedience, as He is our King by dominion. And hath made us a kingdom — that is, He has willed to receive us as citizens of the heavenly kingdom, so that we should no longer be strangers or guests, but fellow-citizens of the saints, servants of God, built upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, and upon Jesus Christ Himself, who is the cornerstone. And priests, who no longer offer the blood of animals, but who offer with Him, upon the altar of the sacred cross, the body and the precious blood of Jesus Christ — a sacrifice infinitely holy and acceptable, which the angels themselves desire to contemplate, and which appeases the anger of God which our sins have drawn upon us. And priests, who are no longer fed, as in the old law, with the flesh of animals or the manna of the desert, but with the body and the precious blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb without spot, who gave Himself up to be the food and the spiritual drink of our souls. And priests, offering hosts as a sacrifice of praise pleasing to God — that is, to the most holy Trinity, and to God the Father, for whose glory the Son has disposed all things. To him be glory in Himself, and empire over all things for ever and ever — that is, in eternity. Amen. So be it, or, let it be done.

XI. And because our heart is anxious, and the time in which the wicked triumph over us seems to us too long, until we are constituted citizens of the kingdom of God, the author raises up our downcast souls, with admirable efficacy, by the words which follow: Behold, he cometh with the clouds; the Latin text says Ecce venit cum nubibus, as though to say: behold — the time is very short in comparison with eternal pain or eternal glory. Ecce, behold: lift up the eyes of your soul toward the times past — they have flowed away, as though they had never been; toward the times present — how swiftly they flow away! — and toward the times to come — how they approach, and how all is accomplished, though we think not of it! So too the Scripture says: "if he make any delay, wait for him: for he shall surely come, and he shall not be slack." Behold, He cometh with the clouds; the Latin text uses the present tense, to make our weak minds understand that, however long may seem to us this time which separates us from the day of judgment, it is nevertheless, in comparison with eternity, as a present time, in which Jesus Christ shall come and appear. "So also shall the coming of the Son of man be," etc. (Matt. 24:30). The Latin word ecce, behold, which is often employed in this book, means, in the mind of the Holy Spirit, that we must lift up our souls and stir our imagination in order to grasp something serious, admirable, lovable, or dreadful.

XII. And every eye shall see him, because He shall appear visible to all. And every eye shall see him: the free man and the slave, the rich and the poor, kings and princes, nobles and commoners, the learned and the ignorant, the just and the wicked, etc. But all shall see Him in a different manner; for His appearing will be infinitely pleasing to the just, like that of a bridegroom to his bride, of a father or mother to their son, of a brother to his brother, of a friend to his friend, and above all of a saviour to one saved. Indeed, He will present Himself to the just in the character of bridegroom, saviour, father, master, brother, and friend. Luke 21:28: "But when these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads" (that is, let your hearts expand), "because your redemption is at hand." The appearing of Jesus Christ, on the contrary, will be terrible to the wicked and to those who pierced him: such as the Jews who crucified Him, the soldiers who crowned Him with thorns and scourged His sacred body, Pilate who judged Him, Herod who mocked Him, the chief priests who blasphemed Him, treating Him as a thief — and we also, who have pierced Him by our sins. And those who pierced him in His holy members: in wards, in widows, in orphans, in the wretched, in the poor, of whom He is the protector, the advocate, and the father. And those who pierced him by calumniating, condemning, envying, despising, and treating unworthily holy and sacred persons and things: such as the tyrants who shed the innocent blood of the martyrs for the sake of the faith and of justice; the princes, kings, magistrates, judges, and guardians who shall have overburdened and oppressed wards, widows, and the like. Such also are the scorners, the detractors, those who judge rashly, the shameless, the heretics, the poisoners, etc. It is to all the wicked who shall not have done penance that He will appear as a terrible judge, so much so that they will say to the mountains: "Fall upon us; and to the hills: Cover us," that we may not see the face of Him that sitteth upon the throne.

XIII. And all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves because of him — the Latin text says plangent se, they shall lament over themselves, on seeing the riches of His glory, of which they shall have so shamefully deprived themselves. They shall lament over themselves, they shall groan, seeing those who shall have founded themselves upon Jesus Christ. And they shall say, repenting and groaning in the anguish of their spirit: "These are they whom we had some time in derision" (Wisdom 5:3). Even so. Amen. These two words express an affirmation. The first is of Greek origin and signifies the nations; the second, drawn from the Hebrew, designates the Jews. They are joined together in order to persuade us of the irrefragable truth of the resurrection and of the last judgment; because on that day both the nations and the Jews shall see Jesus Christ as a judge who will render to each according to his works, whether good or evil. And this evangelical truth is the one truth most capable of restraining our perverted will from the forbidden pleasures of the present life, and of stirring up in us the fear of God and the love of the goods to come. Wherefore this truth is efficaciously confirmed by these two words: Etiam. Amen. Even so. Amen. Hence these words of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:18): "For amen I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall not pass of the law, till all be fulfilled."

I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord God, who is, and who was, and who is to come: meaning by this — My sentence can be neither changed nor annulled; because I am before any thing was; and all things have begun, begin, and shall begin by Me, and not without Me, to whom all things tend as their end. He is called Alpha and Omega because alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet and omega the last, signifying by these words that God is the beginning and the end of all creatures, and that all is subordinate to Him — after the manner of the sea, from which all waters go forth, and into which all waters return. Who is, and who was, and who is to come: these last expressions are explained as above.

§ 2. On the Author of the Apocalypse: How Saint John Saw and Wrote This Book. Chapter 1, Verses 9–12

XIV. VERSE 9. I John, your brother and your partner in tribulation, and in the kingdom, and patience in Christ Jesus, was in the island which is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus. VERSE 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, VERSE 11. Saying: What thou seest, write in a book: and send to the seven churches which are in Asia, to Ephesus, and to Smyrna, and to Pergamus, and to Thyatira, and to Sardis, and to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

After the greeting, Saint John passes immediately to the narration. He mentions, as if in passing, his own person, the place where he received the revelation, the reason why this revelation was made to him in that place, the time, and the manner of it. He first makes his hearers attentive, as is always customary in exordiums.

I John, your brother — not by the ties of blood, but by the spiritual regeneration wrought through the sacrament of Baptism. Your brother in the unity and communion of the saints, in charity, in Jesus Christ and by Jesus Christ, who is the common Father of us all according to regeneration unto eternal life.

And your partner in tribulation, and in the kingdom, and patience in Christ Jesus. For it is in Jesus Christ, who is our Head, that all merit is founded; and it is through the unity of faith and charity, which exists in the communion of saints, that the merits of the just flow into each of the members, as by a participation of kinship or of blood.

Your partner in tribulation — that is to say, I have been persecuted for the faith of Jesus Christ like the other Apostles, when I was plunged into a cauldron of boiling oil. I endured martyrdom as far as it was possible for me, for the sake of the heavenly kingdom, into which one cannot enter except through many tribulations, just as Jesus Christ had to suffer in order to enter into His glory. From this it follows that he who does not imitate Jesus in tribulations will not follow Him into His kingdom.

And in the patience of Jesus Christ — that is, for the sake of Jesus Christ, who gives patience and consoles us in tribulation. Tribulation differs from patience in this: tribulation, derived from the Latin words tribula and tribulatio, indicates a long, vehement, and varied persecution by tyrants, by which the soul of the one who suffers is placed in a state of anguish over which the Church groans; whereas the word patience expresses the bearing of miseries common to all men. The word tribulation also signifies all kinds of torments by which the saints are tried like grapes beneath the winepress. Patience is the virtue which makes us endure them with a calm spirit.

I was in the island which is called Patmos. For Saint John, having been placed in a cauldron of boiling oil, was not burned there, but rather anointed like a strong athlete; and he came out of it more vigorous. He was sent into exile to Patmos by Domitian, who succeeded his brother Titus, in the year of Our Lord 82. It was in his exile that God revealed to Saint John these mysteries of the Apocalypse.

I was in the island, etc. These words designate the place where he received this revelation — namely, an island, under whose figure the Church of Jesus Christ is very well represented. For in the Church, heavenly things are opened to the faithful as an island is generally accessible from every side; and just as an island is continually exposed to the assaults of the sea, so the Church is continually afflicted by the persecutions of the devil, the flesh, and the world.

XV. For the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. By these words Saint John indicates, in passing, the cause of his exile: he was sent into exile because he refused to deny Jesus Christ or to cease preaching Him.

Then he adds the mode of his vision: I was in the spirit — that is, in ecstasy — on the Lord's day, which is the day appointed for divine contemplation.

And I heard in the imagination behind me. To understand these words, one must know that among the prophets the words before me designate a past time; in me, a present time; and after me or behind me, a future time. Now, since the principal mysteries revealed to Saint John when he wrote this book were to be fulfilled in a future time, this is why he says: And I heard behind me an imaginary voice, strong and resounding like a trumpet.

These last words show the power and authority of the angel who speaks in the name of Jesus Christ, saying: What thou seest — that is, what thou shalt see in the present revelation; what thou seest in thy imagination and by the intellect, with full understanding — write in a book, for the instruction of the faithful, and send to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamus, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.

By these seven churches are designated the seven ages of the Catholic Church — that is, seven different epochs during the course of which the Lord will accomplish all things, and will break the head of many upon the earth, and the age shall be consummated. Therefore these seven churches of Asia Minor were the type of the seven future ages of the Church until the end of the world. Saint John first wrote to these seven churches, and described the things of which they were the type, as will be seen more clearly in the explanation of each event in particular.

XVI. VERSE 12. And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks.

And I turned — that is, I turned my thought, or applied my mind, in order to understand the mysteries of things to come. These words teach us that, in the revelation of heavenly things, one must turn the mind away from earthly objects and turn it toward God.

To see the voice that spoke with me. The Latin text says ut viderem vocem — "to see the voice" — that is, to see the one who was speaking, taking the effect for the cause. Thus it is written in Exodus 20:18: Cunctus autem populus videbat voces, etc. — "and all the people saw the voices," that is, heard them.

XVII. A Warning on the Manner in Which Saint John Wrote the Apocalypse

There are three ways of seeing, hearing, or perceiving something by the senses.

The first is to see with the eyes, or to hear with the ears, through the operation of the senses. It is in this way that we see the stars in heaven, and that the companions of Saul — that is, of Paul — heard the voice of Jesus Christ.

The second is when, asleep or awake, we see in spirit, or understand by imaginative visions, things which figure another thing. In this case our exterior senses are elevated by the Lord in so admirable and ineffable a manner that the person placed in ecstasy grasps the objects presented to him in a way more certain and more perfect than any man could see, hear, feel, or grasp any object whatever, even if he were endowed with the best senses.

The third way is intellectual, as when we see a thing by thought alone, without the aid of images by which things present themselves to us as figures.

Now all this takes place in the prophets, by the will of God, in four ways: 1. With the obscurity of faith, when the prophet does not evidently recognise that God is speaking; but, being elevated above nature by a heavenly light, he perceives that it is God who speaks. 2. With evidence in the one who attests — this is when the soul of the prophet is elevated and illuminated by such assistance that he evidently recognises that it is God, or an angel, who speaks to him. 3. If he does not write the things which he sees in this way. 4. Finally, if the natural style and eloquence of the prophet are elevated in what he writes, so that his pen runs, as it were, with the greatest rapidity, and the man writes without fatigue, and knows either wholly or partly what he writes, according as God wills for His good pleasure or for our utility.

Now this Apocalypse was revealed to Saint John the Evangelist, the greatest of all the prophets, in the most perfect manner. For he saw and understood all these mysteries by imaginative visions and by the assistance of the angel who aided him and evidently enlightened his soul. Therefore he says: I was in the spirit on the Lord's day, meaning by these words that his holy soul, rapt in ecstasy, saw, heard, and understood, by the aid of the same angel, all that he wrote in this book.

§ 3. Description of the Church Militant Revealed to Saint John by Its Resemblance to Jesus Christ. Chapter 1, Verses 13–20

XVIII. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks — that is, seven churches full of the oil of good works, burning with the fire of charity, illuminated by the wisdom of the divine Word, and shining before the eyes of the world like lamps and candlesticks.

Indeed, Jesus Christ instituted His Church so that she might come to the aid of the needy by the oil of the works of mercy; that the infirm might be anointed and strengthened; that those who are cold might be warmed by the fire of charity; that the blind might be enlightened by heavenly wisdom; and that the works of darkness might flee before the works of light and holy conduct.

Golden candlesticks — that is, cast in the knowledge of discretion and in heavenly prudence. For just as gold is more esteemed than other metals by kings, princes, and other men, and just as it has great efficacy in medicine for healing the infirm, so also discretion and prudence are not only highly esteemed by men but are also necessary to spiritual medicine in fraternal correction.

Golden candlesticks, by which are represented the splendour, riches, majesty, honour, and exterior glory with which Jesus Christ has willed to adorn His Church, His spouse, and to make her shine before the eyes of the world according to the diversity of times.

Golden candlesticks — that is, polished and wrought. For just as gold is tried by fire, and the candlestick takes its form under the craftsman's instrument, so the Church is perfected and extended in long-suffering, purified by tribulations and by the blows of temptation.

XIX. VERSE 13. And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

This text describes, in the literal sense, the person of Christ, whom the angel represented, as constituted by God the Father to be the High Priest and the Judge of the living and the dead. This person of Christ also figures the person, government, and nature of the Church, His spouse.

And in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, one like to the Son of man — that is, an angel who was not Christ in person, but an angel sent by Him, who represented the person of Christ.

Like to the Son of man — that is, offering an image, likeness, or idea of Jesus Christ, according to which He formed His Church like unto Himself.

Like to the Son of man, thereby designating the Spirit of Christ, who maintains and spiritually vivifies the body of His Church as the soul of man vivifies his body. This is why Saint John writes these words: In the midst of the seven golden candlesticks.

For Christ, whose person is represented by the angel, is in the midst of His Church as an invisible Head: governing her, sustaining her, vivifying her, instructing her, consoling her, defending her, and loving her; just as a master is in the midst of his disciples, a father in the midst of his children, a king in the midst of his subjects, and a commander in the midst of his soldiers, according as it is written in Matthew 28:20: "I am with you all days, even to the consummation of the world."

These angels are also in the midst of the Church as ministers preordained by God to be our guardianship, our salvation, and our help. Finally, this angel who is in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks is also the type of all the other angels.

XX. Clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

These words depict that being like to the Son of man; and this description reveals to us the nature and government of the Catholic Church, the spouse of Jesus Christ.

Saint John says that he saw Him clothed with a garment down to the feet. Now the long garment, or priestly vestment, which descends to the feet, is the alb. This garment designates the humanity of Jesus Christ under which He showed Himself to men, having made Himself like unto us and having been covered with a garment as a man and as a Pontiff who could have compassion on our infirmities.

He was constituted by God the Father as an eternal Priest according to the order of Melchizedek, having offered Himself to the Father once upon the Cross as a living Victim, and offering Himself each day for us in the sacrifice of the Mass.

Now such also is the Catholic Church: she offers, in fact, a living image of Christ, and gives us an idea or prototype of her divine Spouse. She is adorned with a long garment — that is, with the dignity and priestly habit descending to the feet — to represent the priesthood which will continue until the consummation of the ages. The whiteness of this long garment indicates the purity of conscience, simplicity of soul, humility of spirit, and chastity of body which must always accompany the priesthood.

And girt about the paps with a golden girdle — with the girdle of the justice and truth of Jesus. Isaiah 11:5: "And justice shall be the girdle of his loins: and faith the girdle of his reins."

A golden girdle — that is, the priesthood will have much to suffer from the world because of justice and truth, and will be tried like gold in the furnace.

Now in this way one may also say of the Church of Christ that she is girded beneath the breasts. By the girded loins is understood the mortification of the flesh, such as was prescribed in the Old Testament; and by the breast girded beneath the breasts is understood the mortification of the soul, such as is commanded in the new law. For under the new law Jesus Christ adorns and newly girds His Church, His spouse, as with a girdle of precious gold. Matthew 5:27–28: "You have heard that it was said to them of old: Thou shalt not commit adultery. But I say to you, that whosoever shall look on a woman to lust after her hath already committed adultery with her in his heart."

VERSE 14. And his head and his hairs were white, as white wool, and as snow.

It is fitting that the head of the priest, as also of the judge, should have the whiteness of maturity and wisdom. Therefore it is said that He who was like to the Son of man had His head and His hairs white as white wool and as snow.

The head represents the Word of God, eternal Wisdom. And His head is said to be white, as representing age, because He is eternal, and because He is the eternal Wisdom of the Father. This is why the prophet Daniel says of Christ, in chapter 7:9: "I beheld till thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days sat."

The hairs signify the saints and the just, forming so great a multitude from all nations that no one can number them. Moreover, hairs grow upon the head, adhere to it, and are its ornament. In the same way, the saints and just of God have been produced by divine Wisdom, having Jesus Christ as their Head, upon whom they are founded; moreover, they adhere to Him by faith, hope, and charity, and are, as it were, His exterior ornament. For God is glorified by His saints, who through Him have conquered the world, the flesh, and the devil, in order to attain the eternal kingdom.

Finally, two kinds of whiteness are spoken of here: 1. White as white wool. 2. White as snow.

By hairs white as white wool are understood those who became white through many trials, and were washed like wool in the waters of tribulations, which could not extinguish their charity. Under this category are also included those who stained themselves on this earth with the mud of mortal sin, and afterward washed themselves, like Mary Magdalene and other saints, in the waters of Jordan and of penance, like sheep that are washed before they are shorn.

By hairs white as snow are understood virgins and all those who, having preserved their first innocence, carried it to heaven to their Spouse Jesus Christ. These are described in Apocalypse 14:5: "And in their mouth there was found no lie; for they are without spot before the throne of God," like snow.

In all these things we also see the portrait of our holy Mother the Catholic Church. For her invisible Head is Jesus Christ, who formed His body and communicates to it interiorly the fullness of grace and truth. Her visible head is, by a continual succession, the Sovereign Pontiff, himself a priest and representing the priesthood, or all the priests who are subject to him. By this are also understood all the prelates who, assisted by the grace of the Holy Spirit, govern and rule the Church on earth through Jesus Christ.

The visible head of the Church also has the whiteness of age, since it has existed by a continual succession from Jesus Christ down to this day, having broken the head of all the chiefs of heresy. It has the whiteness of maturity, because its doctrine has always been sound, reasonable, and holy, and because the Catholic Church has always observed a magnificent order in her ceremonies and in all other sacred things.

And his eyes were as a flame of fire.

This signifies the keenness of the intellect in the knowledge of truth. For just as man naturally has two eyes, the right and the left, so Jesus Christ, who is perfect as God and as man, has most pure and most penetrating eyes, which are the whole knowledge of the divinity and of the humanity. These eyes of Jesus Christ are of infinite sight and understanding, because He intimately searches and sees all things, both supernatural and natural, both good and evil, in the past, the present, and the future.

With the right eye He sees the good with their good works, and with the left eye He sees the wicked with their iniquities. Psalm 33:15–16: "The eyes of the Lord are upon the just: and his ears unto their prayers. But the countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil things, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth."

Therefore Saint John adds: As a flame of fire. For just as fire is a simple and terrible element which tries gold and purifies it, which illuminates darkness and reveals its works, which devours and penetrates all things, so the eyes of God are terrible when they search the reins and hearts; when they see and illumine all things, the darkness and the works of darkness, however hidden they may be. The eyes of God penetrate even to the secrets of hell.

Our holy Mother the Catholic Church also has two perfectly similar eyes. The first of her eyes is divine: it is the assistance of the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ asked this eye of the Father and gave it to His spouse. John 14:16–17: "And I will ask the Father, and he shall give you another Paraclete, that he may abide with you for ever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, nor knoweth him; but you shall know him, because he shall abide with you, and shall be in you."

The other eye of the Church is Sacred Scripture, the holy Canons, the writings of the holy Fathers, the holy Councils, theology, and the sources of all the other sciences, both natural and supernatural, to which regard is had in definitions and judgments.

And these eyes of truth and clarity in the Church are magnificent. Canticles 4:1: "How beautiful art thou, my love, how beautiful art thou! thy eyes are dove's eyes." Such are the eyes of the spouse of Jesus Christ, by which she discerns good from evil, truth from error, darkness from light, and by which she forms judgment, justice, and truth. And it is these eyes which, like a burning flame, have slain all heretics, have conquered the devil, the father of lies, the dragon, and the beast, and which penetrate even to the secrets of hell.

VERSE 15. And his feet like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace.

These words signify the fervour of zeal in procuring the honour of God and the salvation of souls — an infinite zeal in Jesus Christ, who descended from heaven for us and for our salvation, enduring for this purpose hunger and thirst during thirty-three years, etc. And He trod the winepress of His Passion and of tribulations. Isaiah 63:3: "I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the Gentiles there is not a man with me."

Consequently, by the feet is also understood the strength of Christ in labours and tribulations, and His invincible patience, by which He trod underfoot, as He passed along, and conquered all the difficulties and adversities that presented themselves to Him on the road of life and especially of His Passion.

This is why His feet are called like unto fine brass, as in a burning furnace. For just as fine brass, which is a very hard metal, resists all the heat of the fire, and the more it is exposed to it, the more beautiful its colour becomes, so the strength, patience, and fervour of Jesus Christ shine forth in the heat of tribulations and of His Passion.

And it is thus also that the feet of the Church are the fervour of charity which animates the saints to procure the salvation of souls. For the patience and humility of the saints sustain the Church, which follows in the footsteps of Jesus Christ; and it is with these two virtues, which are like their feet, that the saints tread upon the adversity and prosperity of this world. These feet of fine brass are very strong and very hard in adversity and in prosperity. They burn with the fire of charity, and they are exposed to this fire in the tribulations of the world, the flesh, and the devil, and they resist it. Therefore Scripture rightly says in Romans 10:15: "How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, of them that bring glad tidings of good things!"

And his voice as the sound of many waters.

These words signify the efficacy of the Word in preaching and correction. For the voice of Christ is preaching, and also His most holy and most efficacious Gospel, of which Saint Paul says in his Epistle to the Hebrews 4:12: "For the word of God is living and effectual, and more piercing than any two-edged sword; and reaching unto the division of the soul and the spirit, of the joints also and the marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

The prophets spoke much of this voice, calling it a rod, and also the spirit or breath of His mouth. This voice is also the grace of God, of Jesus Christ, which enlightens and stirs the soul, and speaks to the heart.

As the voice of many waters — as water which penetrates, purifies, waters, and spiritually fertilises. The efficacy of this voice, which is like the voice of many waters, is spoken of in Psalm 28:3–9: "The voice of the Lord is upon the waters; the God of majesty hath thundered: the Lord is upon many waters. The voice of the Lord is in power; the voice of the Lord in magnificence. The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars: yea, the Lord shall break the cedars of Libanus. And shall reduce them to pieces, as a calf of Libanus, and as the beloved son of unicorns. The voice of the Lord divideth the flame of fire. The voice of the Lord shaketh the desert: and the Lord shall shake the desert of Cades. The voice of the Lord prepareth the stags: and he will discover the thick woods: and in his temple all shall speak his glory."

The Church also has a good voice: it is the voice of preachers crying in the desert of this world. This voice is also the word of God expressed in the Old and New Testament. These voices are the definitions and decrees of the Councils of the Church, the holy Canons, and finally the voice of the Sovereign Pontiff and of the other prelates addressing the faithful. Isaiah 49:2 says of this voice: "And he hath made my mouth like a sharp sword: in the shadow of his hand he hath protected me, and hath made me as a chosen arrow: in his quiver he hath hidden me."

VERSE 16. And he had in his right hand seven stars.

These seven stars signify the universality of the bishops, who are called stars because they must enlighten the Church by their life and by their doctrine. Daniel 12:3: "And they that instruct many to justice shall shine as stars for all eternity."

It is said of them that they are in the right hand of Christ, because without Him they can do nothing right. John 15:5: "Without me you can do nothing." It is also said that they are in His right hand because they are placed beneath His power, by which He now exalts, now humbles, now raises up, now casts down upon the earth him who must be trodden underfoot by men. Thus Jesus Christ contains all things in His grace and His power, here designated by His right hand.

The Church also has a similar right hand, which is the authority of the Sovereign Pontiff, or the universal and hierarchical jurisdiction beneath which all the other bishops are placed.

And from his mouth came out a sharp two-edged sword.

By the sword, justice is designated, Jesus Christ being the judge of the living and the dead. This sword is two-edged because this Judge will be just, considering neither the king nor the poor; He will judge the just and the impious, and He will render to each according to his works.

It must be noted that this sword comes out of His mouth, since the sentence of a judge is pronounced by the mouth. Thus Saint Matthew 25:34, speaking of Jesus Christ, says: "Then shall the king say to them that shall be on his right hand: Come, ye blessed of my Father, possess you the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger, and you took me in; naked, and you covered me; sick, and you visited me; I was in prison, and you came to me," etc. And again, in the same chapter: "Then he shall say to them also that shall be on his left hand: Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire which was prepared for the devil and his angels," etc.

The Church also holds a similar sword, since Jesus Christ established her as judge of the controversies which may arise at certain times concerning justice and faith. Matthew 16:18–19: "Thou art Peter; and upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give to thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven. And whatsoever thou shalt bind upon earth, it shall be bound also in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth, it shall be loosed also in heaven."

Therefore the Church judges matters of justice according to the holy Canons, and decides what belongs to faith, by declaring the legitimate sense of the holy Scriptures and by issuing sentences of excommunication and anathema against the obstinate. It is therefore with reason that this power of the Catholic Church to pronounce anathema and excommunication is called a sword — a power which she has always used and which she will always possess.

And his face was as the sun shineth in his power.

This face of Jesus Christ triumphant in heaven is His most glorious humanity, from which radiates the light that is in Him and the splendour of eternal glory — a face which even the angels desire to contemplate, and which enlightens every man who comes into this world. Therefore he adds: as the sun shineth in his power.

For just as the sun enlightens the whole world, warms it, makes it fruitful, and penetrates by its power the mountains, the seas, and all things, so Jesus Christ, who is the brightness of eternal light, waters all that is dry with the dew of divine glory; He dries all that is moist by the heat of heavenly desires; He warms all that is cold by the fire of His love; finally, He fills all things with His goodness.

His face is spoken of in Psalm 103:29: "But if thou turnest away thy face, they shall be troubled; thou shalt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and shall return to their dust."

The face of the Church, the spouse of Jesus Christ, is also magnificent by the splendour of the Holy Spirit, who was poured out upon her on the day of Pentecost. Therefore she shines like the sun in its strength — that is, in a most beautiful order, in the conformity of all things, in the magnificence of her rites and ceremonies, etc. She shines like the sun in its strength — that is, in her holy laws, conformable to God, to nature, and to men. Like the sun in its strength — that is, in the integrity, purity, and truth of her faith. And by this she enlightens every man coming into this world, so that if pagans, heretics, and other unbelievers were willing to look upon the face of the Catholic Church, they could easily be enlightened and converted to the true faith.

XXI. VERSE 17. And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead.

After having sufficiently described, from head to feet, Him who was like to the Son of man, Saint John adds: And when I had seen him, I fell at his feet as dead.

By these words one sees the almost mortal terror and fear with which Saint John was seized. He adds that he fell at His feet so that by this the Spirit of Christ might also show us that the feet of His Church — which are, as we have said above, strength and patience — would be astonishing and terrible, since the Church was to tread, until the end of the world, the winepress of tribulations, and to walk in the blood of martyrs.

These two words, astonishing and terrible, truly express the sentiments one experiences at the sight of the marvellous events which mark the different ages of the Church. For what a terrible thing are the evils which God permits against His Church in order to prove her! But also what an astonishing and admirable thing is the intervention of His goodness, His patience, and His love in favour of His elect amid all these horrible trials! After fear and terror ordinarily comes consolation.

XXII. And he laid his right hand upon me.

His right hand designates the grace and power of Christ, which He placed upon Saint John, who here represents the person of the Church. That is to say, He placed His right hand upon His Church and her members, saying: Fear not.

It is as though He were saying: Do not fear, although you must undergo horrible persecutions and cross the torrent of the blood of the martyrs — a torrent which it pleased My Father from all eternity that I should drink for the glory of His elect. For I have placed upon you My right hand — that is, My grace. My right hand — that is, My power, which will not permit anything to be imposed upon you beyond what you can do and bear. My right hand, because I will be with you in all your tribulations until the consummation of the ages.

XXIII. VERSE 18. I am the first and the last, and alive, and was dead, and behold I am living for ever and ever.

By these words He excites the Church, and us who are her members, by His example — the most admirable possible — to endure all evils; and He strengthens us, saying: I am the first — that is, I am God and the principle of all creatures; and nevertheless I am the first who endured all these things, and many others, to serve as an example for you.

And the last — that is, the end for which all things were created, and to which all things are ordered and referred; and nevertheless, I am the last of the living. Isaiah 53:2–5: "We have seen him, and there was no sightliness, that we should be desirous of him. Despised, and the most abject of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with infirmity. His look was as it were hidden and despised, whereupon we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our infirmities and carried our sorrows; and we have thought him as it were a leper, and as one struck by God and afflicted. But he was wounded for our iniquities; he was bruised for our sins. The chastisement of our peace was upon him: and by his bruises we are healed."

I am alive, and was dead — meaning by these words: Behold, I truly died upon the Cross, and I was laid in a sepulchre; men despaired of My life and of My resurrection; and nevertheless I truly rose again, and I live, I who was dead.

And behold I am living for ever and ever. By these words, Our Lord Jesus Christ shows us immortality, and wills to convince and persuade our souls to endure even death with love, saying to us: Behold Me, I who suffered for a little time, I am living for ever and ever — that is, I am eternally immortal and impassible, according to Romans 6:10: "For in that he died to sin, he died once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God."

It is by considering immortality that the holy martyrs and delicate virgins conquered with joy and endured with patience all the torments of the world and all the temptations of the age.

XXIV. And I have the keys of death and of hell.

The keys signify power. I have the keys of death: witness the prophet Osee 13:14: "O death, I will be thy death." And elsewhere the Lord also says: Death shall give up its dead at My command, at the sound of the trumpet. It shall give them up living, etc. Arise, ye dead, etc. Come to judgment. I will make the death of the faithful precious before the Lord, whatever its kind may be.

I have the keys of hell — that is, power over the devil, who, like a roaring lion, goes about seeking to devour us, and whom we must resist, strong in faith.

Of hell — that is, of the prince of this world, whether of his ministers or of his members, who seek by all possible means to reduce you under their power and to draw you away from Me by innumerable torments. But this prince has already been cast out; and therefore you must not fear his ministers. This is what Jesus Christ also tells us in Luke 12:4–5: "Be not afraid of them who kill the body… fear ye him who, after he hath killed, hath power to cast into hell."

Of death and of hell, because when those who are the ministers of the devil shall have raged enough, death will tear them apart by My command, and hell will swallow them alive. They will not rage against My will, nor beyond it; for I will not permit you to be tempted above your strength, and I will make your temptations bear fruit. He who has the key of the house introduces into it whom he pleases, and also excludes whom he wills.

VERSE 19. Write therefore the things which thou hast seen, and which are, and which must be done hereafter.

Write therefore the things which thou hast seen — that is, the past evils which I have revealed to thee; and which are — the present or imminent evils, and those which, by the permission of God, have already begun or are about to happen in order to prove the Church.

And which must be done hereafter — the evils which must follow, or which will happen at the end of times, so that by the examples of patience and invincible strength of the first persecuted, those who follow them, and the last faithful, may be sufficiently encouraged.

VERSE 20. The mystery of the seven stars, which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks.

That is to say: behold the mystery which He explains to us, teaching us how, by the property of things and of words, and by allegories, we must understand and interpret the other things.

By the seven angels, therefore, is understood the universality of the bishops who will exist in the seven ages of the Church.

The seven candlesticks make us understand the seven future ages of the Church, during the course of which the age will be consummated, all will be reduced to ruins, and the head of him who has dominated the earth will be broken.

The seven stars are the seven angels of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches. Saint John describes all these things in what follows.